The Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB) has set 16 November as the application deadline for its January 2027 PhD intake. Its notice, updated on 16 October, lists a 19 October opening. Shortlisted applicants face an on-campus written test in Bengaluru on 3 December, followed by interviews on 3 and 4 December. The shortlist is due on 20 November, and the programme is scheduled to begin on 1 January 2027.
The two eligibility routes are a two-year master’s with at least 60% in a subject listed in the notice, or a four-year BTech, BE or equivalent in science or technology with 75%. The application fee is Rs 800 via NEFT. Fee as of 19 October 2026, 1:28 PM IST. The institute’s notice links registration, but the linked portal could not be independently checked for this report.
Project requirements differ
Applicants should compare their background with the project dossier, dated 7 October, before choosing a research direction. Its 12 listed proposals are research options, not a confirmed seat count. Jayashree Nagesh’s two protein-focused projects seek chemistry or physics master’s graduates with quantum mechanics or quantum chemistry exposure and mathematics through Class 12. Nithya Ramakrishnan’s computational projects on epigenetic factors and gut microbiomes require mathematics fundamentals and programming experience. Their funding entries name IBAB. Swathi Alagesan’s cyanobacterial proposals list national fellowships as preferred. Applicants should distinguish a preference from an essential requirement.
Other entries have different funding conditions. Kshitish K Acharya’s neurological-disease and cancer data-analysis proposals require an individual fellowship and prefer dependable programming skills. Shruthi S Vembar’s malaria projects ask for a life-sciences or biotechnology MSc and a national fellowship, naming routes such as CSIR-UGC NET, DBT-JRF through BET or DST INSPIRE eligibility. These project-level conditions matter alongside the general admission threshold. The dossier describes proposed investigations; it does not report validated treatments, diagnostic products or completed research findings.
One compulsory section and one subject choice
The separate entrance syllabus makes Part A compulsory for everyone. Within that section, quantitative aptitude accounts for 30%, analytical aptitude 10%, spatial aptitude 10%, basic mathematics and science 40%, and general science knowledge 10%. Topics range from probability and elementary statistics to shape transformations and interpreting charts. These percentages describe Part A’s listed components; the document does not establish that Part A carries those proportions of the entire examination.
For Part B, candidates choose one subject: life sciences and biotechnology, physics and chemistry, data science and machine learning, or biological data analysis and bioinformatics. The data-science option assigns 25% each to programming and machine learning, 20% each to probability/statistics and linear algebra, and 10% to calculus and optimisation. Its programming topics include Python, data structures, searching and sorting. The bioinformatics option separately covers biological datasets, sequence analysis, databases and programming. In the life-sciences paper, applied biosciences carries 25% and molecular biology and genetics 20%, alongside the other listed subjects. Candidates should use their chosen subject’s complete syllabus rather than prepare only for the common aptitude component.
IBAB’s standing PhD programme description says candidates can register with either Manipal Academy of Higher Education or the University of Trans-disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology. It describes coursework, scientific writing and publishing, alongside conference presentations in India and potentially abroad. This is programme background, not a promise of an overseas trip. Applicants comparing offers should establish which registration arrangement applies to their proposed supervisor and project. The page also identifies experimental and computational research facilities, including sequencing equipment and high-performance computing, reflecting the different kinds of work described in the current proposals.
For applicants planning a move, the institute’s housing page says accommodation is assured for IBAB students, with separate hostels for men and women and an on-campus dining hall. That page does not state current hostel or meal charges. Those costs therefore cannot be inferred from the application fee, and should be checked before accepting an offer.
Dalimss News has separately covered IIT Delhi’s research admissions and housing conditions and IIT Kanpur’s January research application round. Each institution has its own eligibility, selection and funding rules.
